Four Principles for Ministers of Education to Lead and Succeed in Government Contents

Learning To Lead: Four Principles For Ministers of Education To Lead And Succeed In Government Contents

Foreword 3 Executive Summary 4 Introduction 6 1. Respect 8 2. Conviction 13 3. Resilience 14 4. Reform 18 Conclusion: Political Leadership For The 21st Century 21 Annex: Members Of The Atlantis Group 22

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Foreword crisis. As UN data show, in many parts of the world public The Atlantis Group was born of a very simple idea of Mr. education systems are failing to provide children with a Sunny Varkey, our founder and international educational good education and millions of children are leaving school entrepreneur. What if you could bring together an without being able to read, write or do basic mathematics extraordinary group of former ministers of education – while millions more will never set foot inside a and heads of government from all around the world? classroom. The problems fuelling this crisis are many and What would they have in common? Where would their manifold. But the answer must be real leadership from the experiences differ? And what would their advice be for the governments that run the public education systems where next generation of political leaders? the majority of the world’s children go to school.

Of course, the global education sector is an area where Very simply, the Atlantis Group initiative is an important there is no shortage of recommendations – bold new ideas opportunity for today’s political leaders to learn from those from think tanks that dominate headlines and fill column who came before; the former ministers and prime ministers inches; exciting research by academics that fills conference who have walked in their shoes and faced the same floors; and innovative thinking from classroom teachers challenges. As a foundation, it has been our great privilege that gets us talking on social media. to bring these leaders together to address one of the most fundamental questions in global education today: How do But what happens behind closed doors at the highest level ministers make good decisions? of government is often a mystery. Few will ever have the opportunity to listen and learn from the people who have We now invite political leaders everywhere to consider the actually run public education systems; the former ministers Atlantis Group’s very simple framework on how to succeed of education whose decisions affected the schooling of in government: the principles of respect, conviction, tens of thousands of children and young people. resilience and reform.

This is a great loss, for effective political leadership is Vikas Pota, needed desperately to solve a growing global education CEO, The Varkey Foundation

3 Executive Summary primary school without basic proficiencies in key skills like In October 2017, a distinguished group of former reading, writing and mathematics, while millions more will education ministers and heads of government gathered never set foot in a classroom. in London for a two-day summit on the role of political leadership in education. This was the inaugural meeting of The Atlantis Group believes that this crisis will not be the Atlantis Group, a unique body which today consists of solved without effective leadership from ministers of 25 members from across six continents with over 70 years education, who manage the world’s public education of combined experience in managing public education systems and are directly responsible for the education systems at the highest level of government. The purpose of of the vast majority of the world’s children. Through its the Atlantis Group is to leverage that collective knowledge members’ extensive discussions, research and reflections and experience and use it to address global challenges in on their time in office, the group has identified four broad education around the world. The group has a very simple principles that underpin such leadership. These are: vision: that effective political leadership is the key to delivering education for all. Respect A minister will achieve nothing in public office if they don’t have the confidence of their government and That vision is desperately needed in the face of today’s command the respect of other key political figures, public global education crisis. The UN’s education agency, bodies and stakeholders. UNESCO, has warned that the world is likely to miss Conviction A minister will only succeed if they believe in its Sustainable Development Goal of delivering quality their programme and inclusive education for all by 2030 unless there is and succeeds in making education an overall priority for concerted action by the international community. Today, their government. millions of children all around the world are leaving Resilience A successful minister must be able to lead With this report, the Atlantis Group offers the experience, their ministry through systemic challenges and endure expertise and insight of its members to ministers of unexpected crises. education around the world. Reform An effective minister must work to build the capacity of the education system as a whole by fostering leadership, accountability, evaluation and innovation.

In this report the Atlantis Group offers its reflections on each principle and addresses a series of recommendations on effective political leadership to serving ministers of education. “Effective political

Education has an outcome that everyone can agree on: leadership is the well-rounded, educated children who have been given the life skills to be able to generate a successful future for key to delivering themselves. In turn, they are able to contribute positively to the societies in which they live. It is the job of an education for all.” education system and its leaders to prepare these students for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead of them. To give a child an education is to give everyone a future.

5 Introduction “Your education Today the world is facing an extraordinary education crisis. today is your The international community looks set to fall well short of its 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of economy tomorrow.” delivering inclusive and quality education for all and promoting lifelong learning. According to the latest UN data, millions of children around the world are leaving The Atlantis Group believes that the solution to the primary education without basic proficiencies in reading, global education crisis must ultimately lie in the writing and mathematics and there are also over 264 leadership of governments, which run the public million children who are not in school at all.1 There is education systems where the vast majority of the also a global shortage of good teachers: according to world’s children go to school.3 The leadership of a estimates by the UN’s education agency UNESCO, almost handful of ministers of education has the potential to 69 million new teachers are needed if the international affect the outcomes of tens of millions of children all community is to meet its 2030 education goal.2 around the world.

This is a global crisis that is unfolding simultaneously Every major political decision a minister takes during in dozens of States all around the world, in tens of their time in office has the potential to affect the thousands of schools and classrooms. It is a crisis that outcome for a generation. A minister’s decisions, for members of The Varkey Foundation’s Atlantis Group good or bad, will shape a child’s first encounters with witnessed first-hand while in government, from systemic letters and numbers, their grasp of reading, writing poverty to political instability and conflict. Today, these and basic sums and ultimately their understanding former ministers and heads of government continue to of advanced mathematics, the sciences and their believe in the power of politics to reshape education nation’s history, literature and art. The quality of a systems for the better. country’s education system will ultimately impact on the future of the State as a whole. As one member

1 Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals: Report of the Secretary-General, UN Secretary General (UN Doc: E/2017/66*). (Progress towards the SDGs, UNSG); and Reducing global poverty through universal primary and secondary education, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, June 2017.

2 Close to 69 million new teachers needed to reach 2030 education goals, UNESCO, October 2016.

6 of the Atlantis Group argued during the body’s October 2017 summit: “your education today is your economy tomorrow”.

But the Atlantis Group also recognizes that many new ministers of education come to their role ill-prepared for these responsibilities, with little experience of national education systems or of public office altogether. This lack of experience means that many new ministers will struggle to succeed in government – and the realities of politics mean that most ministers will leave office long before seeing their policies implemented.

Reflecting on their own time in office, many members of the Atlantis Group wished they had been able to call on the advice of those more experienced than themselves to assist in their work as they began their careers in educational leadership and politics. Several of the members noted that their relative inexperience of high office had proved an important obstacle to getting things done – at least in their first weeks in the role. As one former minister joked during the Atlantis Group’s October 2017 summit: “no-one should become a minister without having been a minister before.”

The Atlantis Group has unique and practical insights The Atlantis Group to offer new ministers of education on how to be The founding principle of the Atlantis successful in their role: how to prepare for public office, Group is: “To bring together the skills and how to navigate the political landscape and how to experiences of former ministers of education survive, succeed and make their voices heard at the and interested former heads of government highest levels of government. Based on its collective across the world to help address ongoing experience, the group has identified four broad challenges in global education.” principles as the basis of effective political leadership in education: Respect, Conviction, Resilience and Reform. Today, the group consists of 25 former ministers of education and heads of These principles draw upon discussions between 15 government from around the world. Its members of the Atlantis Group and its expert advisors members have over 70 years of combined at a summit in the UK in October 2017, as well as the experience in managing public education reflections of individual members and ongoing research systems. The group advocates for action 4 by the group’s Secretariat. by the international community to address global issues in education and also puts its expertise and experience at the disposal of “We were ministers of governments. The Atlantis Group was established by global education because we education charity The Varkey Foundation and launched at the 2017 Global Education were passionate about & Skills Forum at Atlantis The Palm hotel in Dubai, UAE. education. That passion doesn’t stop when we cease being a minister.”

3 The Atlantis Group has also urged the international community to redouble its efforts to meet its Sustainable Development Goal on education. In October 2017, the group warned that aid for education was falling, and called upon G20 nations to enshrine in national law a commitment to education investment and assistance as a percentage of their GDP.

4 The summit took place under a modified version of the Chatham House Rule, where The Varkey Foundation agreed not to attribute statements to individual members and advisers. 7 Effective data allows new ministers to make good 1. Respect decisions while in office and – critically for political leaders – to build respect and broad consensus around The importance of the first weeks in office those decisions among allies and opponents alike. Reflecting on the importance of data in decision- • Building effective relationships making, several Atlantis Group members have cited and • Making good decisions paraphrased the work of OECD Director of Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher, who has frequently A minister will achieve nothing in public office if they championed the role of data and evidence in policy- don’t have the confidence of their government and making: They also noted the common aphorism, command the respect of other key political figures, attributed to W. Edwards Deming: public bodies and stakeholders. A minister of education’s first weeks in office are therefore a critical time for them “Without data, you are just another person with an to work to build successful working relationships, both opinion..” within their government and the wider education sector. While in office, members of the Atlantis Group drew As one former minister noted during the upon evidence and data in many different ways, both October 2017 summit: to inform their own decisions and to build public and political support for their policies. While different “Respect takes a number of different forms, and even members had access to different quality of national if you’re not respected by virtue of your own status data while in office, many have spoken of the value and qualifications, being respected for the way you of international standardised testing like the OECD conduct yourself, for the political positions that you PISA in providing information and fostering reform. In take up, and for the respect that you treat other their discussions, the Atlantis Group also urged current people with is very important.” ministers of education to look to the wealth of data and evidence of effective policies in other countries all It is obviously extremely difficult for a new minister to around the world. prepare for the responsibilities of government and the realities of high public office. This is often the case for As one member of the group noted during the October new ministers of education, who in some countries are 2017 summit: academics appointed to the role by the government with little to no experience of political life. Reflecting “There are very few new ideas. There are also very on their own first weeks in office, some members of the few new policies and almost everything you want Atlantis Group described a paradoxical situation where to do, somebody else has done and has usually they struggled to understand how to get things done, done brilliantly.” even though their political capital and support from top figures in government was at its highest. The members also highlighted the risks of becoming entrapped by Reframe The Debate others with more political experience who can easily co- opt a new minister’s agenda and decision-making. One While evidence and data are enormously powerful tools cautioned: for new ministers to lead the public debate around education, as politicians ministers should also recognize “If you are a minister who has no experience in that these will not always be enough to challenge education, it’s very easy to be encircled by… people deeply rooted political ideologies among their political who have their vested interests and who say, ‘I would do opponents. A successful minister must be an expert this because of this, because of that’ and suddenly you communicator who is able to speak to the concerns and are doing something that doesn’t change anything and values of different audiences and constituencies both, maybe makes things worse.” within their own political sphere and that of the wider public. Successful ministers will: Make Decisions Informed By Reflecting on this challenge, the Atlantis Group notes Evidence And Data that the most effective ministers are those who can reframe the public debate itself, either to allay the The Atlantis Group fundamentally believes that the most concerns of their opponents – or to neutralise their effective ministers use data and evidence to inform their arguments. For example, one Atlantis Group member decision-making – and that such practice also fosters noted that teachers in his country had resisted his respect among other stakeholders. The group further attempts to introduce a new curriculum because they felt cautions that ministers who do not inform their decisions it would be a threat to their autonomy, even though his with evidence, but who instead base their decisions ministry had convincing evidence which showed that the largely on their political beliefs, are more likely to attract new curriculum would improve results: intransigent opposition, alienate their allies and waste public money. “We told them: ‘This is not a curriculum that we’re imposing, these are tools and resources to help you,

8 because you haven’t had enough support so far.’ The perception changed completely, and the teachers welcomed the ministry’s efforts.”

Build A Rapport With Other Factions

To succeed in office, a minister must be able to foster working relationships with their political opponents, both inside and outside government. To get things done, a minister must understand both the machinery of their own government and the people who make that machinery work. A minister must also recognize the importance of building working relationships with officials outside their own immediate circle of government, in political institutions and law-making bodies such as parliamentary education committees.

Reflecting on their time in office, members of the Atlantis Group discussed a variety of methods for building effective relationships while in office. Several members stressed the importance of making decisions that could not be viewed as arbitrary or partisan. One argued: “The Education Ministry should be viewed as the least partisan ministry of any ministry in government… suffice it to say that the Education Ministry should never be used for even vaguely partisan ends.”

Another member argued that it was important for a minister to build a sense of continuity after taking office, and not to arbitrarily overturn “good” decisions by their predecessor simply because of party politics. Instead, the member argued: “He [the minister] should try and be fair with his predecessor. This will gain him respect and the trust of his colleagues at the ministry.”

The personal is also political. Members also stressed the importance of identifying common ground with their opponents – and noted that in their experience such common ground was often as much personal as political. One member who served in a unity “Respect takes government described how he overcame the differences a number of with his own head of State: “Ultimately, this is about children. I met him on a one different forms...” to one basis – and I was criticised for this – but I had to build rapport with him. I had to build common ground. I came to realise that he too, despite all our other disagreements, was somebody who was also passionate about education. The moment you mention children and you remind people what we’re all about, somehow the differences start to disappear.”

Focus On Their Own Programme

There will always be competing factions within a government and across partisan, ideological and party lines. Governments are often preoccupied with day- to-day political crises, but the most effective ministers of education are not drawn into “big politics” unless absolutely necessary. 9 “Without data, you are just another person with an opinion.”

Most members of the Atlantis Group can recall the political crises, party factionalism and everyday scandals that threatened their governments during their time in office. Some of the former ministers also served in unity governments or in administrations run by their political and ideological opponents and so were effectively locked out of high-level strategy and decision-making. However, in their experience members felt that they were most effective in office when they remained outside of the everyday political machinations, petty debates and ideological squabbles that so often degrade a government’s capacity to operate effectively.

Instead, the most effective ministers were those that simply focused on their educational role and worked to build respect and working relationships on all sides. One member of the Atlantis Group recommended:

“The education minister should totally and utterly ignore the big things that are going on in the rest of the government and just get on relentlessly with the job of reforming schools, leading the education system and engaging with ministerial colleagues.”

10 Other members disagreed with this view and argued that in order to survive in political life, a minister must make sure that they’re aware of the issues affecting their government. One noted that ministers could not afford to simply ignore “big politics” as they would inevitably have to back their government’s decisions in public.

In their discussions, some members of the Atlantis Group also noted that the day-to-day job of managing a government department could distract a minister from their long-term strategy. Reflecting on these challenges, one member recommended that a minister delegate as much as possible to trusted junior officials in their ministry, arguing that this would free up time for the minster to address important issues of policy.

Visit Schools And Listen To Teachers

A political leader who is prepared to connect with their constituency is more respected and effective than one who simply hands down orders. In their experience, members of the Atlantis Group consider that a minister of education is more likely to be effective if they visit schools in their country regularly and are prepared to listen to the day-to-day experiences of pupils, teachers and school leaders. The group notes the particular importance of ministers in visiting remote and underprivileged areas.

Such visits will give the minister an important insight into how schools are actually delivering policies at a local level as well as the challenges that teachers and school leaders face. Visiting schools is also a simple and important way for ministers to cultivate recognition and respect among local communities, teachers and political figures – as well as to discuss and agree upon solutions to the most common problems. During the Atlantis Group summit, one former minister described how he would spend half his working week visiting three or four schools a day, meeting teachers and school leaders:

“They were amazed that the minister would turn up personally. I would never turn up with a large entourage, because that creates completely the wrong impression. By doing this in a very relentless way, I developed a reputation for being non-ideological, practical, and rising above the party barriers.”

“The education minister should totally and utterly ignore the big things that are going on in the rest of the government...” “Say as little as possible and listen as much as possible.” “A speech by a head of government on education as a big 2. Conviction national challenge will do more to project education as a Standing by your beliefs • Putting education at the top big issue than almost any other intervention that could be of the agenda made.” • Convincing others In practice, however, ministers of education often struggle New ministers of education may struggle to put education to make education a top priority for their government. at the top of their government’s agenda and, in addition, As one member of the Atlantis Group described it, often face resistance to their policies from the media, governments tend to see education as a “cold” issue, trade unions, teachers and parents. The most successful where decisions will take years or even decades to have ministers of education are those who have the conviction any impact. Governments are therefore often reluctant to to make education an overall priority for their government expend their limited political capital in making more than – and work to convince others of cosmetic changes to education systems. As one Atlantis its importance. Group member noted in the October 2017 summit: “You can lose an election over education, but you never win For a minister of education to succeed they need to one.” Another member also remarked: “We should never convince others of their own conviction in the importance underestimate how inherently conservative a social system and worth of their ideas. Members of the Atlantis of education is.” Group discussed this issue in detail in their October 2017 deliberations on political leadership. Many spoke The most successful ministers of education, therefore, of indifference to education from leaders in their own are those who are able to change their own government’s government; others described the difficulty of building perception of education from a cold case to a hot topic. relationships with hostile trade unions, parents’ groups In their October 2017 summit, the former ministers and media. All the former ministers had faced immense described a range of political tactics to achieve this which pressure to compromise and capitulate to the demands of they considered to be effective, ranging from seeking others. The most effective were able to resist this pressure the interventions of respected international experts, to by drawing upon the support of their political allies (see building public support for their proposals, to stubbornly above, “Respect”), but also by understanding where to door-stopping senior figures in their own government. compromise on the political details of a decision or policy For example, one member of the Atlantis Group described but not sacrifice the principle behind it – and making it how, by getting public support first, political support very clear to others that they were prepared to stand their followed: ground. As one former minister noted during the October 2017 summit: “We didn’t have the support of the ministry of finance, so we couldn’t just pay teachers more and get their support “There are no jobs which are more challenging in society that way. So we had to get support from the rest of the than political leadership in a period of change. Though it’s society initially. Then later on, some of the education very important that you enjoy respect, it’s very important stakeholders could see the benefits, including the parents that you seek a rapprochement with your opponents, but if that were initially upset about the changes we were you are not resolved about what you want to do, then you making. will achieve nothing.” The teachers suddenly received recognition, because their Successful ministers will: classes were having better results and so on. And then the Make Education A Top Priority For The minister of finance actually became more willing to talk to us.” Another Atlantis Group member described a different Government

Few will have forgotten that, when President George W. Bush received news of the attack on the World Trade “There are no jobs which are Center, he was sat in a school. Bush had made education a key part of his political agenda through the slogan: “No more challenging in society Child Left Behind”, and visited many schools during his than political leadership in a tenure. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair’s landslide electoral victory in 1996 was partly thanks to his very clear agenda: period of change.” “Education, Education, Education”. In both cases, the job of the education minister was made far easier because education itself had been made a priority by the head of government. As one member of the Atlantis Group noted during the October 2017 summit:

13 tactic: he gained the attention of the president and finance Considering this issue in their October 2017 summit, the minister by sitting outside their offices until they relented Atlantis Group noted that an effective strategy can be to and agreed to meet with him: foster a sense of public crisis over the issue. The former ministers described a range of tactics to do this, including “There were several billion dollars that were committed drawing on a country’s poor standing in international to education by sitting outside of the president or the standardised testing or the findings of international minister of finance’s office forever and becoming relevant bodies like the World Bank. One advisor to the group by force. You have to be there because otherwise there’s has described how he used the PISA results to effectively another minister that’s going to sit there and fetch that press for change to the education system in his country: money.” “What I sought to do all the time was to paint it in terms of a crisis.” Another former minister described how, when his arguments for compulsory kindergarten in his country Another member described how they fostered a sense were rebuffed by his head of government, he re-framed of public crisis to tackle systemic corruption within their the idea as coming from international institutions. He drew country’s education system. By ending the collusion upon data from the OECD and the World Bank, as well as between the exam providers and teachers, the pass rates the vocal support of the leaders of those organisations, dropped from 90% to 50% and she faced a barrage of to persuade the sceptical head criticism from teachers and parents and media: of government: “In countries like mine, where people are used to crises, “It was a good idea, but it hadn’t been accepted when it you need to really come up with a big crisis if you want came from me, the minister. It worked when it came from education to get on top of other sectors. This became a outside experts.” national issue. If you’re lucky to survive politically this kind of ‘failure’, as they called it, then you at least have Another member of the group described how he used his the education on everybody’s agenda. conviction to persuade a new head of government to keep him in his role as minister of education: “I said, I believe passionately in what we’re doing. I spent 3. Resilience three hours with him, explaining to him what we were doing. He said, at the end: ‘well if you’re up for it, I’m up Leading in a crisis • Overcoming systemic challenges for it.’ And I carried on.” A national crisis is the ultimate test of a minister’s political Foster A Sense Of Public Emergency leadership. Many education ministers will inherit systems It is often difficult for ministers of education to convince badly damaged by the legacy of past crises, such as stakeholders of the need for urgent change and in practice systemic poverty, political instability, conflict and natural this can be one of the biggest obstacles to reform, because disasters. Others will be asked to lead education systems the costs are upfront and the benefits may not be seen for crippled by decades of underfunding and poor public years. policy. Some may face sudden and acute crises that, if poorly managed, will threaten the stability of their entire education system.

As ministers, several members of the Atlantis Group had to lead their education systems through such national crises, including economic collapse, intransigent political shutdowns and mass demographic change. Others inherited an education crisis from their predecessor, such as taking office during a national, prolonged teachers’ strike. One member of the Atlantis Group described the situation in his country when he took office: “We don’t have buildings, we don’t have schools to teach kids. We don’t have salaries for teachers.”

Reflecting on these crises in October 2017, members of the Atlantis Group described situations where conventional strategic thinking had totally failed and where political “What I sought to do processes had stalled or collapsed completely; scenarios where there was no clear roadmap. While contextually all the time was these situations were all very different, members described a range of common strategies and tactics they considered to paint it in terms to be effective. of crisis.” “We find ourselves in a situation where we don’t have buildings, we don’t have schools to teach kids. We don’t have salaries for teachers.”

15 5 What We Owe Refugee Children, Elias Bou Saab, Project Syndicate, June 2017

16 Successful ministers will: Create A New Roadmap Delegate Decision-making Some crises are so great that they threaten to overwhelm During sudden and developing crises, ministers may be an education system without an effective response by quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number of decisions government. In such scenarios, ministers must be prepared they are forced to make in a short space of time. In such to consider fundamental changes to the way their national cases, one effective approach may be for a minister to education system operates and is funded in order to ensure delegate longer-term policy and less important decisions that everyone has access to an equitable and quality to others in their team so they can focus on leading the education. ministry through the acute problem. Members of the Atlantis Group have stressed that ministers should foster For example, during its October 2017 summit the Atlantis an atmosphere sense of autonomy, trust and responsibility Group considered the example of Lebanon, which has with their juniors – and not lose sight of the big picture. successfully incorporated millions of refugees from the One member of the Atlantis Group described his approach: conflict in Syria into its school system by introducing a double-shift system and seeking economic assistance 5 “You lose the contact [with day-to-day management] from the international community. The group has noted when you are subsumed with dealing with the crisis; that such reforms are only possible if a political leader I had to leave that to the rest of the government.” can inspire confidence in the programme from teachers, government and the international community alike. Take The First Step To End A Political Impasse Be A Figurehead New ministers can be very effective if they show that they are willing to negotiate and open new lines of dialogue, Reflecting on leadership, members of the Atlantis Group particularly during intransigent political standoffs. While have concluded that it is the personal qualities of an politicians may build valuable capital with their supporters individual minister that will determine their ultimate by prolonging arguments with their opponents, while in success or failure in the face of crisis: their clarity of office leaders who work to de-escalate a situation are vision in complicated situations, their courage in the more likely to be successful. One member of the Atlantis face of insurmountable odds and – ultimately – their grit Group described how he took office in the midst of union- and resilience. Such qualities are not simply rhetorical; organised teacher strikes: a minister must understand that leading a complex government bureaucracy through a national crisis requires “Others had sought to preach to the unions how more than political acumen and an understanding of adversely they were affecting children’s education, strategy and tactics – it requires them to be a figurehead but it wasn’t working. So I decided I would just walk that others can look to in the face of fear, uncertainty and over to the trade union, open the door, and say ‘I’m desperation. ready to talk’. That changed the whole atmosphere.”

17 4. Reform Building a legacy • Changing the system • Creating profession and also contribute to a lack of morale among agents of change the teaching workforce itself: teachers may feel that there is nothing that they can bring to the profession. As one Ministers of education are rarely in office for very long and member argued during the October summit: “Too many it can be difficult for them to deliver real change in their school systems are designed like factories, where a few political lifetimes. In practice, it can take years for their people at the top tell the rest what to do.” policies to take effect system-wide, and up to a decade or more to reach the classroom. Successful ministers will Another recommended that: “Ministers should try and therefore work to build the capacity of the education raise the social status of teachers in society and also system as a whole by fostering leadership, accountability, give teachers reasonable freedom and autonomy in the evaluation and innovation. As one Atlantis Group member exercise of their duties.” argued in October 2017: The Atlantis Group urges ministers to consider the “Most reforms don’t die from lack of money, they die from expertise and experience of teachers in building the lack of implementation capacity, from a lack of leadership capacity of the education systems and contributing to throughout the system.”

Successful ministers will: “Most reforms Build The Capacity And Status Of Teachers Research by The Varkey Foundation has found that the don’t die from social standing of teachers differs widely around the world and that in many countries the public does not see lack of money...” teaching as a high-status profession.6 Reflecting on these findings, the Atlantis Group notes many governments have failed to build the capacity of their teaching workforce as 6 Global Teacher Status Index, Professor Peter Dolton and Dr. Oscar Marcenaro-Gutierrez and The Varkey community figures, researchers and innovators and instead Foundation, October 2013 continue to subject teachers to a high level of centralized control. This may erode public respect for the teaching

18 new ideas and policies. Reflecting on the most successful either aren’t aware of reforms at the political level, or educational systems in the world, the group notes that know what they need to do to implement a policy, but teachers can also play the roles of researcher, learner, and not why. In some countries, teachers have no control professional collaborator. If ministers of education build whatsoever over education and this can severely damage teachers’ capacity as leaders, they can radically change their morale. One member has noted: their system for the better. “You can have the best school, the best tools, but if you The Atlantis Group believes that ministers of education will don’t have the commitment of the teachers, if you don’t be most effective in office when they foster research and have their mission, their vision, innovation at all levels of their system – as well a lifelong their love of what they are doing, you won’t achieve learning among teachers. For example, teachers in Finland anything.” are part of an education system that is considered one of the best in the world, and they generally continue to Foster Accountability study at Master’s Degree level or higher even after their The Atlantis Group believes that an effective way to build employment. As a result, they have a research mindset, a sustainable and successful education system is to allow and remain learners throughout their career, investing that teachers and schools to learn from their peers. The group knowledge into the development of their profession. In has considered many views over how a minister should China – a heavily-centralized State – the government still identify the right balance between vertical accountability allows schools to experiment with policy ideas. Schools and lateral, professional accountability. For instance, are allowed to test out innovations and experiments using some members caution that introducing teacher-based government funding. If an idea is successful, it will be assessment can lead to inflated results. One member, scaled up and shared with other schools. The government however, argues strongly for it: allows teachers time to pursue leadership responsibilities and work with parents. “Why? Because the moment teachers have that responsibility, they become quite good at judging students’ The Atlantis Group urges ministers to consider teachers responses and judging other students’ responses. Probably as ambassadors for reform, rather than obstacles to be it helped them develop and learn a lot from the process. ignored or overcome. Members note that often teachers We do too little of that.”

19 Making schools and teachers more accountable to their member of the Atlantis Group has simply noted: “There is peers is not as simple as devolving power, however. It total amnesia involves being open to the rest of society and reaching in education.” beyond the educational community. This kind of change can meet resistance, because it also means that teachers The ability to identify when a policy is succeeding or and schools have to be transparent. In Shanghai, teachers failing, and know why it, is a fundamental quality of use a digital platform to upload their ideas, their lessons effective political leadership. To succeed in office, plans and projects, as well as model lessons. The platform ministers of education must therefore be prepared has a reputational metric, so the more other teachers are to invest in effective evaluations of their policies. By downloading lessons, using them and improving them, the contributing to a body of national evidence and data more status that teacher receives on the platform. At the about education policy in their country, ministers will be end of the school year, they are assessed not only on the able to make more effective decisions while in office and performance of students, but on what contributions they will foster a culture of accountability in their country’s made to the platform, and ultimately, to their profession. education system that their successors may build upon. Reflecting on this, one Atlantis Group member has noted: The Atlantis Group has also noted the increasingly important function of international standardised testing in “It is very important to instil the idea that the health of the holding failing national systems to account and handing education system is not just the cause of a government, ministers of education with a powerful political mandate but the cause of teachers, parents, students, local for reform. governments and professional organisations. There is so much energy in the system that we typically do not harvest A fundamental obstacle to the systematic implementation and that we do not build into the system.” of evaluation is that educational policy is part and parcel of the political cycle, which is much shorter than the Invest In Systematic Evaluation cycle of educational reform. Often, complex, sweeping The Atlantis Group has argued for ministers of education changes to an educational system can take years to to inform their decisions with evidence and data (see establish and years to implement fully. Reflecting on their above, “Respect”). However, the group also accepts that in own experiences while in office, members of the Atlantis practice relatively few ministers will have access to good Group consider that ministers of education who build the data because so few governments adequately evaluate the capacity of the system as a whole are more likely to leave impact of their policies. A recent study by the OECD has a lasting legacy than those who simply consolidate their found, for example, that governments had only evaluated own political power. 10% of their education policies.7 Reflecting on this, one

“There is so much energy in the system that we typically do not harvest and that we do not build into the system.”

7 Education Policy Outlook 2015: Making Reforms Happen, OECD, January 2015

20 Conclusion: Political Leadership For The 21st Century Today too many children are sitting in schools around the world learning virtually nothing. Too many more will never have the chance to enter a classroom.8 Generations of children are leaving primary school ill-prepared for a world which is being reshaped by the extraordinary force of globalisation and the power of new technology. Without action most of the 800 million young people who will leave school in 2030 will not have had a basic education, according to the UN special envoy for global education.9

The Atlantis Group believes that effective political leadership by ministers of education holds the key to solving the crisis. The group believes that the most successful political leaders are those that manage their office with courage and conviction, inform their decisions with data, and have the humility to listen to teachers as well as the determination to stand up to their heads of government.

With this report, the Atlantis Group offers the experience, expertise and insight “What a wise parent of its members to such ministers around the world. The members invite their would wish for counterparts in office to consider these broad principles as touchstones for what success looks like in government, based upon their more than 70 years their children, so of collected experience in public office at the highest level of State. Finally, the group offers as a fundamental guiding principle for ministers of education the the State must wish words of British economic historian RH Tawney: “What a wise parent would wish for their children, so the State must wish for all its children.” for all its children.”

8 See e.g. Progress towards the SDGs, UNSG.

9 ‘Act now,’ or by 2030, millions could be graduating from schools without even basic education, warns UN envoy, UN News Centre, April 2017. 21 Annex: Members Of The Atlantis Group

Name Country Title

Rosalía Arteaga Ecuador President and Vice-president of Ecuador [1996-1998]

Elias Bou Saab Lebanon Minister of Education and Higher Education [2014-2016]

David Coltart Zimbabwe Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture [2009-2013]

Claudia Costin Brazil Secretary of Education for Rio de Janeiro [2009-2014]

Nuno Crato Portugal Minister of Education and Science, Portugal [2011-2015]

Arne Duncan USA Secretary of Education, USA [2009-2015]

Minister of Education and Human Development, Mozambique Jorge Ferrão Mozambique [2015-2016]

Luis Garcia de Brigard Colombia Deputy Minister of Education of Colombia [2014-2015]

Minister of Education, Universities and Research, Italy Stefania Giannini Italy [2014-2016]

Justine Greening UK Secretary of State for Education [2016-2018]

Zlatko Lagumdžija Bosnia and Herzegovina Chairman of the Council of Ministers [2001-2002]

Ju-Ho Lee South Korea Minister of Education, Science and Technology [2010-2013]

Armin Luistro Philippines Secretary of the Department of Education [2010-2016]

Silas Lwakabamba Rwanda Minister of Education [2014-2015]

Bálint Magyar Hungary Minister of Education [1996-1998; 2002-2006]

Minister of Education [2005-2007] [Hon. Maharey has also Steve Maharey New Zealand held other ministerial roles relevant to education]

Nicky Morgan UK Secretary of State for Education [2014-2016]

Prime Minister [2009-2011] Minister of Education and George Papandreou Greece Religious Affairs [1994-1996] Minister of Education and Research of Romania [2012-2014]; Remus Pricopie Romania and State Secretary of Higher Education and Research [2007-2008] Minister of Education and Science and of Education, Culture, Jo Ritzen The Netherlands and Science [1989-1998]

Jaime Saavedra Peru Minister of Education [2013-2016]

Maia Sandu Moldova Minister of Education [2012-2015]

Minister of Education, Higher Education and Research Najat Vallaud-Belkacem France [2014-2017]

European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Androulla Vassiliou European Commission Multilingualism and Youth [2010-2014]

Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Serbia Srdjan Verbić [2014-2016]

22